The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, died after being taken to the hospital.
The driver, identified as 31-year old Gilbert Perez, was booked on suspicion of DUI causing bodily injury. Which will likely now be upgraded to a vehicular manslaughter charge, at the very least.
Or murder, if he has a previous DUI conviction.
This is at least the 19th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Investigators now believe the driver may have been involved in one of several street takeovers that occurred in the area in the hours before the June 1st collision. One of which was broken up by police less than a mile from where Villalobos was killed at Century Blvd and San Pedro Street.
Surveillance video shows Villalobos being struck by a silver two-door Chevrolet Camaro with black racing stripes as he approached San Pedro on Century. The driver fled the scene, still dragging the bicycle beneath their vehicle as the car headed towards the 110 Freeway.
Police believe the driver was the same man who stopped at a nearby liquor store before the fatal crash.
So naturally, police used the press conference to deliver an important safety message, reminding drivers that street takeovers are illegal and that they are legally required to stop after a crash.
Right?
Guess again. According to LAPD Det. Ryan Moreno,
“Whether you’re a pedestrian, on a bicycle, on a scooter, skateboard, whatever it is, you have to also take your safety in your own hands. Don’t assume people see you. Don’t assume the public sees you. And if they do see you, don’t assume they’re going to stop,” he said.
Which may be good advice. But it’s the wrong message, delivered to the wrong people, when they should have been talking to the ones in the big, dangerous machines who have a bad habit of killing other people.
As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
That leads Texas on the first count, and Colorado on the second.
In fact, Colorado had an average value of nearly $2,000 per purloined bike, nearly a third more than California, at just under $1,500. And roughly two-and-a-half times the average value of Texas bike thefts.
Not surprisingly, Alaska had the least number of bicycles stolen.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. A British town councilor complains about the “bullying and intimidation” from the “unelected” bike lobby over approval of a new pump track. Even though the only pressure a bike group can actually apply stems from their public support. And isn’t responding to the public what elected officials are supposed to do?
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Local
A California man is suing Amazon and Los Angeles-based ebike maker Actbest Technology Inc, alleging he suffered catastrophic injuries when he was thrown to the ground after the handlebars on his foldable ebike gave out. Then again, what would you expect from $369 electric foldie?
Sad news from Marin, where Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member and co-director Don Cook died from a heart attack while riding his mountain bike on Tuesday; the 66-year old Cook was inducted into the hall in 1989, in just the second class, and co-directed the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame with his wife, Kay Peterson Cook, who was inducted into the hall six years after her husband.
An Anchorage, Alaska woman learns the hard way that it takes more than a thousand bucks to bribe a cop into letting you go home from the drunken crash that killed a bike rider as he was on the phone with his mom in Baja California. And yes, we mentioned this one earlier in the week. But still.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that bikes have a right to the road and don’t have to automatically pull over to make room for motor vehicles; instead, road conditions should determine whether a bike rider needs to make way for faster vehicles in order not to impede traffic.
A man from the UK was sentenced to 12-years behind bars for hacking a 75-year old man to death with an axe after visiting Finland on a fundraising bike tour, telling police he had killed the man as he slept in his bed the morning after spending the night with him because the victim had drugged and raped him — even though police found “no evidence of illicit substances or materials that the elderly victim could use to restrain the young and physically fit aggressor.”
A new German documentary quotes an anonymous pro cyclist as saying it’s a joke to believe “nothing illegal has been taken at the Tour de France since 2015” — and not only is doping still going on, but as many as 14 people alleged to have been involved in a previous doping scandal are still involved in pro cycling.
Even though freeway projects go against California’s ostensible commitment to Complete Streets, as well as the state’s pollution and climate goals.
But if it gives drivers a faster commute for a few months until the corresponding crushing increase in traffic makes it worse for the rest of eternity, it’s worth it.
Right?
Tell the CTC: No More Freeway Widening!
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) on Thursday is considering funding (tab 21) widening the 71 freeway in Pomona (State Route 71 Gap Closure Project – Phase 2), a project being proposed by Metro Los Angeles.
This is Destruction For Nada! The expensive trend of disastrous highway widening projects must stop.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Tell the CTC that you DO NOT support freeway widenings! Let’s use that funding on sustainable projects instead.
Never mind that they keep running into the recurring problem that handlebars already serve a purpose, which isn’t helped if the damn things keep moving on you.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. A Eugene, Oregon TV station reports on a “vehicle versus bicycle crash,” which apparently had no humans involved in or on either vehicle. Although their primary concern is just warning drivers about the traffic inconvenience, rather than any potential risk to human life or anything.
No bias here, either. A radio station on the Isle of Man released a petition calling for banning bike riders from a 13-mile roadway, claiming it’s too dangerous for bikes and cars to share — which garnered a whopping 200 signatures, representing less than 0.25% of the island’s population. Something tells me they’d get more signatures if they called for banning cars, instead.
Bicycling offers tips on how to survive riding in the heat now enveloping more than half the country. But it doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else, so you may have to bake of the magazine blocks you; my best advise is to ride early or late, drink plenty of water, and stick to shaded routes if you ride midday.
Santa Fe, New Mexico will consider adopting a Vision Zero program this week. But it comes too late to save a 42-year old competitive cyclist, staple of the city’s pickleball scene, and veteran of the famed Little 500, who was killed by a driver while riding his bike last week.
Colorado will celebrate the summer Bike to Work Day today, offering the second part of their twice-yearly Bike Day schedule. Never mind that Los Angeles, with its ideal weather and mostly flat terrain, barely observes one Bike to Work Day anymore, let alone two.
Cheyenne, Wyoming is hosting a Bike to Work Day of their own today. Which is only surprising if you ever tried riding the extremely bike-unfriendly, cowboy-centric home of the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo back in the day, which I was only brave enough to attempt once.
A New York grand jury indicted a 54-year old man for murder, manslaughter, unlawful fleeing a police officer, leaving the scene of an incident, and assorted other related crimes, for allegedly killing a 36-year-old woman riding a bicycle while he was fleeing from the cops.
Day 175 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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This is who we share the road with.
A kindhearted North Carolina driver stopped to politely give a little safety advice to a woman riding a bicycle, who politely thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
Or maybe not.
In an incident caught on video — see below — the road raging driver backed up his pickup to scream at the victim, right after subjecting her to a horn-blaring punishment pass, even though she had moved far to the right after her rear-facing radar notified her of an approaching driver.
“I’m just letting you know one person has already got killed on this f****** road riding a bike,” yelled the man in the video. “You’re in a f****** curb. When these trucks come around and hit you and kill you, you’re gonna be f****** dead.”
I could be wrong, but I don’t think that missing seven-letter word was “factual”
But wait, there’s more.
In the video, Faith can be heard explaining she had a radar, but Currin drives off. She then yelled at him as he drove away, “Drive better, m**********!” After that, he stopped his truck and drove it in reverse to face her again.
“You need to watch your f****** mouth,” Currin yelled. “Let me give you some good advice, b****, don’t cuss me the f*** out. I’m telling you you’re going to get hit.”
“You’re cursing me out!” Faith yelled back before the video ends.
So let me get this straight.
The driver was so concerned about the woman’s safety that he first threatened it with his truck, then backed up to swear at her. And somehow got mad when she responded in kind.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Drivers like that, she added, are probably why she doesn’t see more women riding solo when she’s out.
Imagine you are just riding your bike solo and this gem “offers help”. I have ridden this road more times than I can count. I follow all the laws and when my radar tells me someone is coming I move even closer to the white line. (I know I don’t have to.) This “helpful” guy flies by me within inches blaring his horn. I stopped when I saw him slowing down to avoid him. I didn’t get to record the first part when he yelled I shouldn’t be on the road before the first reverse. I guess my bike could have been confused as a grass bike and not a road bike. I am thankful a random driver stopped and waited until the red faced “man” drove off. This was towards the end of my 4 hour ride and I had been thinking all of the drivers were so nice today. Bro said “hold my beer”. I don’t think my heart rate went back down to zone 2 after that either. Just the other day I wondered why I didn’t see more ladies riding solo when I’m out and now we have a good reason. Angry people like this that could have just kept driving. Anyone know this guy or his license plate? It happened on Oakridge Duncan Rd, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526. #cycling#cyclist#roadcyclist#roadcycling#roadbike#badddrivers#cyclinglife#cyclingwomen#bike
To make matters worse, the victim, who recently became an American citizen, was using his headphones to talk with his mother in Baja California when he was struck and killed. Which will probably haunt her for the rest of her life.
Traffic cameras showed the woman driving over a median, turning left against the light, and driving on the wrong side of the road before drifting off the road and striking the victim while exceeding the posted 50 mph speed limit.
She was still in the driver’s seat, reeking of booze, when police arrived.
Then there’s this.
“Following arrest and during transport to the Anchorage jail, (Dill) told the arresting officer that she would give him $1000 if he dropped her off down the street and ‘acted like nothing happened,’” the summary report said.
The officer asked her to repeat herself, it said, and she “assured him that she had $1,000 cash on her and would give it to him.”
Maybe not the best move.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. A columnist for USA Today adds to the anti-ebike and e-scooter hysteria, calling them the hazard tourists never saw coming and insisting it’s time to put an end to the madness — while acknowledging that ebike riders only rarely injure tourists, and that it’s not always the rider’s fault.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Calbike argues that the deadly 85th Percentile Rule, which allows drivers to set speed limits with a heavy right foot, belongs on the dustin of history, while calling for support of AB 1014 to extend the ability of cities to lower speed limits by 5 mph to state roadways. Which isn’t exactly getting rid of it, but it helps.
Officials in Tiburon sent a 143-word letter to Caltrans expressing their concerns over a planned bike lane on the city’s eponymous boulevard, with the mayor and a councilmember dissenting; the former because it didn’t address all of her concerns, and the latter because he just wants the whole damn thing stopped. Or part of it, anyway. Maybe it could have addressed all the mayor’s concerns if they’d just made it 145 words. Or even 150.
No bias here, either. A candidate for Boston mayor criticizes the current mayor’s “failed and dangerous bike lanes, speed bumps and removal of parking spaces across the city,” agreeing that he might rip out a new curbside bike lane — even though it went in to improve safety, along with new crosswalks, signals and turn lanes, after a woman was killed just crossing the street to get a cup of coffee.
Mariska Hargitay is one of us, riding her bike on the New York set of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit with her joyfully screaming three-year old son following on a tag-a-long trailer. Or at least she was, since the three-year old boy shown in the photo would be 18 now. No word on whether he’s still screaming, joyfully or otherwise.
The late New Yorker John F. Kennedy Jr. was one of us in real life, and will be again on a new TV series. No, not the dead president. Or the current vaccine-skeptic Health and Human Services secretary.
Friday afternoon, I spoke with a witness to the crash that killed 37-year old Marvin Cortez as he was riding on Stunt Road on Saturday, June 14th.
What she told me changed our entire understanding of what happened. And more importantly, who was likely responsible.
Initial reports said that Cortez was on the wrong side of the road when he was struck head-on by the driver. But she said the motorist was driving recklessly, with the sound of his engine “reverberating through the canyon” even before he came into sight, roaring around a corner “like he was on a racetrack.
The moments later, she and her friends hear a loud pop, and saw debris flying through the air.
LAPD Sgt. Carlos Gonzalo Coronel faces charges for felony DUI and hit-and-run, along with a felony enhancement for allegedly causing great bodily injury.
Yet Coronel could have been charged with second-degree murder after previously admitting to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in 2011.
He likely would have been required to sign a Watson advisement, which states that he could be charged with murder if he ever killed someone while driving under the influence anytime in the future.
Suzanne Morphew disappeared while going for Mother’s Day bike ride five years ago. Her body was finally found three years later when investigators were searching in an unrelated case, long after her abandoned bike and helmet were discovered in separate locations near her home.
An autopsy revealed she had been dosed with an animal tranquilizer, which Morphew reportedly had access to.
Barry Morphew was arrested for her presumed murder in 2021, but charges were dropped in April 2022, just before he was supposed to go on trial.
Maybe this time they can make the charges stick.
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That’s more like it.
A French public broadcaster reports that cars are no longer welcome in the country’s third largest city.
Thanks to Megan for forwarding the video.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A road-raging 59-year old Utah man faces charges for intentionally swerving his SUV into a 24-year old man riding an ebike, resulting in a serious head injury, after the ebike rider allegedly cut him off; it was the second time he had confronted the victim in just a matter of days.
No bias here. A local newspaper in exclusive Palm Beach, Florida says there’s just no room for packs of bicyclists on the state’s coastal highway, complaining about plans for sharrows that might encourage people to ride bikes where and how they are legally entitled to ride, because it could inconvenience car-driving local residents.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
Sheriffs officials in Calabasas are on the lookout for a high-end mountain bike thief, described as a white man between 30 and 35 years old, wearing a black hat, light-colored pants, a black long-sleeve sweatshirt, and black and white tennis shoes. Unless maybe he changed clothes, of course.
State
Officials in Carlsbad are removing a pair of traffic circles in response to complaints. Although the metric they should consider is whether the circles improved safety, rather than how many people complained. It’s also worth considering that people who don’t object usually don’t say anything. Thanks to Phillip for the link.
The 16-year old Albuquerque boy charged with killing Scott Habermehl, while riding with three other boys joyriding in a stolen car, as the Sandia Laboratory scientist was bicycling to work, is now charged as an adult and facing a murder charge.
Life is cheap in Wisconsin, where a 45-year old woman walked without a day behind bars for the hit-and-run that left an ebike rider with “multiple visible injuries.” As long as courts refuse to take hit-and-runs seriously, drivers will continue to trying to get away with it.
New York City counselors are complaining that current mayor Eric Adams — who is likely on this way to becoming ex-mayor after next week’s Democratic primary — is reneging on promises to install 500 secure bike parking pods throughout the city’s five boroughs.
This is who we share the road with, too. A 32-year old Virginia man has been arrested for the hit-and-run death of 40-year old Sara Burack, after the luxury real estate agent and star of Netflix’s Million Dollar Beach House was found dead on the side of a Long Island roadway.
A Vancouver district counselor calls for making bike bells mandatory, arguing they’ “a simple yet effective solution to address a range of issues related to safety, visibility and courteous riding practices.” Although the next step would likely be requiring bicyclists to use them — and holding them accountable if someone claims they didn’t.
The suspect vehicle is described as a silver Chevrolet Camaro, whose driver fled without stopping.
“Following the crash, the driver of the Camaro made a right turn onto San Pedro Street, continued northbound, and then turned westbound onto East 98th Street, fleeing the scene without stopping to render aid or identify themselves, as required by law,” police said.
There’s no description of the driver at this time.
The LAPD has posted video of the crash, which occurred with other vehicles around, suggesting that someone may have seen it. But be forewarned, the video shows the crash and the aftermath, so be sure you really want to see it before you click on the link.
Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD South Traffic Division at 323/421-2500, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.
As always, there is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of LA.
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If you were planning to go to the Historic South LA meets Watts CicLAvia this Sunday, you can make other plans.
POSTPONED: CicLAvia—Historic South Central meets Watts
Out of care and safety for our communities during our city’s current situation, and in collaboration with our partners, we are postponing this event which was scheduled for this Sunday, June 22, 2025.
It’s a sad commentary that so many Angelenos don’t feel safe on our streets these days.
Blame the ICE raids that have terrorized the city’s Latino residents — even legal residents and American citizens — into staying off the streets, and the small number of troublemakers who have taken advantage of the resulting protests to spread chaos.
Not to mention the gratuitous and inflammatory militarization of our city to score political points and look tough on Fox News.
Surprisingly, Brooklyn leads the list of big cities, followed by Minneapolis and Seattle, with Queens not far behind; San Francisco is the only California city in the top ten.
Even though two of those are actually New York boroughs, rather than cities.
Davis and Berkeley, California, head the list of medium-sized cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000, topping Corvallis, Oregon and Platinum Bike Friendly Boulder, Colorado.
Michigan’s carfree Mackinac Island naturally leads the list of small cities, while Paris is tied with Delft and The Hague atop a Dutch-heavy list of international cities.
And Los Angeles?
We’re all the way down at 977th among US cities, 1,191 internationally, with a pathetic — but well-deserved — score of 25 out of a possible 100. Which puts us behind 161 other cities in California.
That shouldn’t be the case. Los Angeles has everything we need to be one of the world’s best bike cities. Except for political leadership.
Americans are much more likely to support bike lanes in their local area than to oppose them (76% vs. 15%). Americans who live in cities (81%) and suburbs (78%) are more likely than people who live in towns (71%) and rural areas (66%) to support bike lanes in their area. Democrats (90%) are more likely than Republicans (66%) to support bike lanes.
It’s surprising that the last stat isn’t surprising, because there’s a very strong conservative case to be made for bike lanes.
But then, nothing about politics really makes sense these days.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
If you’re reading this early enough, you may still have time to make the 8 am start time for the free Black Folk Juneteenth Freedom Day Ride from Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza to Leimert Park.
Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse reintroduced the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act in the US House; the bill, named in honor of the fallen 17-year-old USA Cycling Team member, would require motor vehicle Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems to detect pedestrians, as well as bicycles and motorcycles.
A group of Texas kid are under investigation after they surrounded someone riding a bicycle, and shot the person in the stomach with a flare gun after claiming the bike belonged to one of them; another shot missed and nearly hit a passing car.
Over 100 people turned out in the rain for a memorial ride in Whitehorse, in Canada’s Yukon territory, to honor a teacher killed by a hit-and-run driver last year while riding his bike just hours before the alleged driver pled guilty to multiple charges related to his death.
An American couple exported this country’s hit-and-run epidemic to Iceland, fleeing the scene after hitting a man riding his bicycle and telling Búi Aðalsteinsson, host of the Hjólvarpið podcast, aka The Bikecast, that they were just going to look for a parking space. And yes, I included those Icelandic names just to see if they would reproduce here.
Life is cheap on the Isle of Man, where a speeding driver walked without a day behind bars for a crash that left a woman riding a bike with a broken back, after attempting to pass the victim on a bend while driving with no insurance and two bald tires.
Although even that may look good next year, after DOGE cuts decimated the agency.
The good news is that overall traffic deaths dropped 4.3% compared to the previous year.
The bad, bicycling deaths went the opposite direction, going up 4.4%, while bicycling injuries jumped even more, increasing by 8.2% over the year before.
And yes, that includes ebikes as well as traditional bicycles, as well as any other pedal-powered vehicle; presumably, that also includes the faster and more powerful electric motorbikes that at usually lumped in with ebikes.
It’s very disturbing that bicycling deaths continue to climb, as motor vehicles get safer inside and more dangerous outside. Never mind the people operating them.
Equally troubling is that 23% of the 1,166 bicycling deaths in the US two years ago involved hit-and-run drivers, which means there’s a one-in-four chance a driver won’t stick around after a crash, no matter where you live.
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Amphibious cars are making a comeback, but amphibious bikes have been here all along, with a history going back 160 years.
Thanks to Steven for the heads-up, whose discovery of the term Cyclomer led him down a water bike rabbit hole.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
This is why people keep dying in our streets. A Portland, Oregon bike rider describes what happened when he alleges a road-raging driver intentionally crashed into him as he rode with another person on the popular Pedalpalooza ride; a poorly trained cop blamed him for riding in the “car lane,” before refusing to file charges against the driver because of “conflicting stories.”
Los Gatos has received funding for a $14.7 million highway widening project intended to relieve summer gridlock from people headed to the beach — although it’s more likely to just make things worse due to induced demand. But at least it includes funds for safer sidewalks and bike lanes.
A Dallas photographer famed for riding his bike through the city to take “perfect” photos of the city’s skyline is out of commission for awhile, after someone broke in and stole his bicycle — then days later, he confronted another would-be thief inside his apartment.
Some people never learn. A 27-year old Indiana man faces a raft of charges and sentencing enhancements after he was arrested for drunk driving with a blood alcohol level at least twice the legal limit, ten years after he killed a 22-year old woman biking with her cousin while driving with a B.A.C. over three times the legal limit; he served just 4.5 years of a six-year sentence for that one.
A New Jersey woman is fantasizing about taking a baseball bat to the headlights of the next driver who comes too close to someone she loves, after repeatedly being endangered by entitled drivers during a vigil for a bike-riding child killed by a driver.
A 75-year old English man became the first person in the country to get a 3D-printed face, after suffering severe burns when he was trapped under a vehicle driven by a drunk and distracted driver while bicycling with two friends, who were also injured.
A record number of British bicyclists sent videos of dangerous drivers to the police for potential prosecution, as 58% of the country’s drivers had no idea how close they could legally pass someone on the bicycle. The law in the UK allows for video evidence of traffic violations, unlike most, if not all of the US, which is still operating in the pre-video — let alone digital — age.
Life is cheap in the UK, where a 22-year old man was sentenced to just 15 months behind bars — of which he’ll be required to serve only 2/5 — for destroying evidence of the hit-and-run that killed a 19-year old man riding a bicycle, as well as two other counts of dangerous driving police found on his phone (see above); however, he wasn’t charged for killing the victim due to a lack evidence.
The story of his death is also beginning to change, as witnesses claim the driver was out of control, and rumble strips in the center of the roadway make it unlikely that Cortez would have been riding on the wrong side of the road, as initial reports claimed.
We’re just 6 days away from Active Streets: Mission at Twilight—a day to come together and move through our streets in community. Join us to walk, roll, and ride through miles of open streets. Bring water, sunscreen, and a friend, and let’s share this time together this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/txsNObuUcU
A London council is accused of installing “prohibitive, discriminatory” barriers on a steep ramp at the exit of a park in order to stop possibly nonexistent speeding bicyclists, forcing people with disabilities and families in cargo bikes onto a busy road with no bike lane, while ignoring a January compromise agreement.
A motor vehicle once again became a weapon of mass destruction when the 87-year old driver of a motorhome slammed into a group of four Swiss bicyclists in Cher, France, killing two people in their 60s and critically injuring a third. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive — especially a vehicle that can weigh seven tons or more.
Where, by their telling, people on bicycles in Paris are entitled hipsters who endanger old people, while the humble bicycle itself is seen as “a symbol of aggression, every-man-for-himself and urban chaos.”
Of course it is.
And of course, it’s all part of the proverbial war on cars.
But it is the behaviour of the cyclists themselves and their apparent disdain for the code de la route that appears to be provoking many Parisians.
Many drivers, already resentful at losing precious road space to dedicated cycle lanes, dismiss those on two wheels as bobos, a catch-all term for privileged hipsters. Matters have been worsened by the proliferation of delivery riders, usually under time pressure and often astride heavy electric machines that can go at 30 mph or more.
Never mind that the European Union limits ebikes to just 15.5 mph.
Then there’s this.
Nine out of ten cyclists (88 per cent) admitted to having broken traffic rules in a survey in Paris and nine other French cities last October. Some 75 per cent confessed to riding on pavements, 55 per cent to turning without signalling and the same number to running red lights.
Young riders appeared the most reckless: three quarters said they did not wear helmets or reflective clothing, and a quarter admitted pedalling without lights.
Because as everyone knows, French drivers are the most courteous, respectful and law-abiding motorists on the Continent.
Right?
But at least they get this part right.
But is an unequal battle: cars and other motor vehicles were responsible for the overwhelming majority of the 451 pedestrians and 222 cyclists killed in France last year, according to provisional official figures from the French Road Safety Observatory.
By contrast, three pedestrians were killed by bicycles and six by electric scooters. Though tiny in comparison, this was higher than in previous years.
Although maybe the fact that bicycle and e-scooter ridership has boomed in Paris since the mayor began reconstructing the streets to build a bike and pedestrian friendly 15-minute city.
So an increase in injuries and fatalities is to be expected — especially when electric motorbikes continue to be misidentified as bicycles.
But maybe, with traditional British disdain for their Gallic neighbors, the problem isn’t the bicycles.
It’s that the riders on them are, yes, French.
Perhaps, though, it is not the town planning that is the main problem.
Chantal from Nancy said that the cyclists were just as bad in her home city. “They’re all French,” she said. “The French mentality is that even if something is banned, you still do it and it doesn’t matter.”
Then again, it always helps when you get find someone from France to complain about the French.
Kind of like a self-identified cyclist complaining about bicyclists.
Although another way to look at it is the driver was likely passing closer than the three-foot distance required to pass a bike rider under California law, or they probably wouldn’t have made contact.
Chances are, blame could also be placed on a poorly designed roadway that required her to leave the bike lane in the first place.
Maybe someone from San Diego could tell us more. But at first glance, this one doesn’t seem to pass the smell test.
New bike path at the Griffith Park tennis courts. This is great . I didn't like riding through tennis players. This is an excellent solution. Also maybe I broke in before it's ready. pic.twitter.com/N3ugaz25C1
— Let's Get Neighborhood Approval to Save the Planet (@ChrisByBike) June 15, 2025
Ouch. Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx chats with his old rival Roger De Vlaeminck, as the two men trash the current generation of riders, arguing that they don’t race often enough or hard enough, and get dropped too easily.
French cyclist Romain Bardet called it a career after 14 years, including two podium finishes in the Tour de France, as the pro peloton showed its respect.
Note: This story has changed considerably following the initial report. As usual, I’ve left the original version as is and added the updates below, so you can see how our understanding of the events has developed. So please read all the way to the end to get the full story.
The victim, identified as 37-year old Marvin Cortez, was struck by a 25-year old Calabasas man while riding on the wrong side of Stunt Road, south of Mulholland Highway, around 9:25 am.
Cortez was reportedly riding north in the southbound lane when the driver rounded a blind curve, and crashed into him head-on.
He was taken to a hospital, but died in the ambulance before he arrived.
Stunt Road is a popular route for road cyclists in the hills between Malibu and Calabasas; it’s possible Cortez cut the corner while descending, and was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
There appears to be some confusion about where he is from. The story leads off by calling Cortez a Los Angeles man, but concludes by saying the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not disclose his city of residence.
This is at least the 18th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
Update: BikeLanesLA casts doubt on the initial reports, pointing out that it’s unlikely Cortez would have crossed the rumble strips at the center of the roadway.
I honestly don’t believe a rider crossed the yellow rumble strip while descending. pic.twitter.com/G3QXMuM8PR
Update 2: A crowdfunding campaign has been established to raise funds to help pay memorial expenses for Cortez. As of this writing, it has raised over $27,000 of the $35,000 goal.
Here is how Melanie Gideon, who established the campaign, describes him.
Marv found his greatest joy in the simple, beautiful things—riding his bike like the world depended on it, sharing quiet moments with those he loved, and making everyone around him feel seen, heard, and cherished. Whether it was through his endless jokes, his goofy grin, or the calm comfort of his silent presence, he had a rare gift: he made life feel lighter, even on the heaviest days.
He was the small, funny guy in the room—the one whose energy made everyone feel at home. He didn’t need the spotlight to shine; he was the reason the room was warm in the first place. Marv was the kind of friend who’d sit with you for hours, say nothing, and still make you feel more whole just by being there. He always showed up—reliably, gently, and fully himself.
And he found his greatest love in Johanna. Their time together was filled with deep connection, laughter, and shared joy. It was a love that grounded him and made his vibrant spirit even brighter.
Update 3: A witness to the crash contradicts the original report.
Kate says she was hiking with two friends on the Calabasas Peak Trail, and was just above the trailhead when they all heard a loud engine reverberating through the canyon, even before they saw a black American muscle car roaring south towards the ocean, “like it was on a racetrack.”
They were alarmed by the speed he was traveling at, then moments later they heard a loud “pop” and saw debris flying through the air.
From where they stood, they saw the car in a ravine, and watched as the driver got out and walked up to the road so he could see what he had done.
Other bike riders soon arrived and surrounded the victim as she called 911. She saw them searching for something, possibly the victim’s bike.
The ambulance came speeding up the roadway, yet still not as fast as the driver had been going. Then departed slowly after the paramedics unhurriedly tended to Cortez, which suggested to her that he may have died on impact.
She isn’t sure about the speed limit, but thought it might be 25 mph due to the many switchbacks on Stunt Road, well below the speed the driver appeared to be doing before the crash.
The location near the trailhead places it between two sweeping curves, which should have slowed the driver. That suggests it may be more likely the driver was on the wrong side, rather than Cortez, if he rounded the curve at speed.
It’s also possible that both Cortez and the driver were in the same lane, traveling in the same direction at the time of the crash, which is the understanding Kate and her friends had, although she stresses that they can’t be sure.
It may be that reports Cortez was on the wrong side of the road rely only on the word of the driver, who has a vested interest in blaming the victim, whether consciously or not.
Kate also mentioned that they had said hello to a very friendly man “with brown hair and a beard” riding a bicycle, and hoped it wasn’t Cortez.
If it wasn’t, it’s very possible he may have seen what happened, or at least saw the driver before the crash.
And yes, Kate says she and her friends remain very disturbed by what they witnessed. As someone who counsels trauma victims, she now finds herself dealing with what she usually helps others with.
Having witnessed something like that myself, I can testify it remains troubling years later.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Marvin Cortez and all his loved ones.
